Are tuberculosis wards a risk factor for HIV in Africa?
A twenty-year-old female prostitute had an indeterminant HIV western blot in Djibouti during June 1988. She was hospitalised at the tuberculosis hospital in October and was re-tested for HIV in November. Her western blot result was still indeterminant, despite a progressive profile, and she therefore escaped to the hospital's HIV surveillance system. There were strong indications that while in-hospital, the patient resumed the activities of her previous profession. We conclude that active tuberculosis may develop in African HIV patients prior to the development of a confirmatory HIV western blot profile. Thorough precautionary measures are indicated for preventing HIV from spreading to health care personnel and amongst hospitalised patients in Africa.
Fox
E
E
US Naval Medical Research Unit No 3, Cairo, Egypt.
Constantine
N T
NT
Aurégan
G
G
el-Ghorab
N M
NM
Chakib-Saad
Abbatte
E A
EA
D000328:Adult; D000349:Africa; D015153:Blotting, Western; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D015483:HIV Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications*; D006757:Hospital Units / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D012307:Risk Factors; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000150:complications*
D015483:HIV Antibodies